Main Street News
Daryl K: I Am My Muse Opens at Verse Work / Shop in Red Hook on November 1
Verse Work / Shop in Red Hook, NY, will be presenting Daryl K: I Am My Muse, the first exhibition dedicated to Daryl Kerrigan, the founder and principal designer of the iconic Daryl K fashion brand.
Daryl Kerrigan, photographed by Inez and Vinoodh, Fall, 1999.
The exhibition will open at Verse on November 1 and will remain on view through November 23. Showcasing Kerrigan’s life and work, the exhibition will feature four main sections – “I Am My Muse,” “Innovator,” “Woman,” and “New York,” – and will feature 50 items from Kerrigan’s archive.
“The ‘I Am My Muse,’ subtitle of the exhibition derives from Kerrigan’s use of herself – her own body – as the model for her creations and reflects her belief that women can be their own muse, rather than being dependent on external forces, especially men, to instill their sense of self assurance and confidence,” Verse co-founder Cassandra Ruff explains in a press release about the exhibit.
About Daryl Kerrigan
From 1996 to 2001, Daryl Kerrigan was a leading female downtown New York fashion designer, with stores on East 6th street and Bond Street in the East Village that were vital sites in the fashion world. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Kerrigan immigrated to New York City in the 1980s. She became famous after working as a costume designer and wardrobe supervisor on iconic films such as My Cousin Vinny and Mystery Train.
Since the inception of the clothing line in the early 1990s, Daryl K has aspired to a set of core values based on integrity of materials, production, and retailing. Kerrigan started repurposing materials and combining the functionality of clothing before these concepts became integral to the fashion world. The Daryl K brand is about dressing for everyday life, walking, bike riding, and all aspects of living in New York City.
While Kerrigan’s fame came through the popularity of her pants – she is credited with developing the “Hip Hugger Bootleg Jean” – her talents extend far beyond that. Designing women’s fashion has inspired her to make everything from beautifully-tailored suits (always with a funky detail on the sleeve, shoulder, or zipper) to simple t-shirts, another trademark item that are frequently adorned with details, images, and slogans about resistance, empowerment, and strength.
Kerrigan believes that having a “rebellious streak” is vital to creating fashion, stating in 2000 that, “…in any city, Dublin or New York, where you are judged by how you look, you’ve got to rebel. You have to. That is international rule.”
About the exhibit
Nina Stritzler-Levine, the curator of the exhibit, considers Verse an important venue for this particular exhibition because it’s a place where “hierarchies in the art world that separate creative practices are dispelled.”
Films of the famous Daryl K runway shows will also be a main component of the exhibition. Many of the runway shows were in locations that evoke the spirit of the New York City scene in the ‘90s: the roof of the Lever Building and on top of a flatbed truck in the Gagosian Gallery on 21st street when it was a parking garage, to name a few.
A digital archive of the Daryl K collections since the 1990s will also be featured on-site, and a pop-up shop for women to experience Daryl K clothing firsthand will be open during the run of the exhibit.
Kerrigan is creating this installation alongside Paul Leonard, her husband and long-time collaborator. At Verse, the wide-ranging practices of Daryl Kerrigan will be showcased together, revealing the intersections of her artistry.
Daryl K: I Am My Muse opens at Verse Work / Shop on November 1 and runs through November 23. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 12-5pm, Sundays from 12-4pm, and by appointment. Verse is located at 35 West Market Street, Red Hook, NY. For more information about Verse and this exhibit, visit their website verseworkshop.com and follow them on Instagram at @verse_work_shop.
